Goal Setting in Reverse—Future Self Exercise
Look Back from Success: Map Your Milestones.
Join Rich Gassen from CSN to explore your future self! We’ll connect on Zoom and magically travel 3-5 years into the future. We’ll then go through three small group exercises, discussing the audacious thing you’ve achieved in the past few years and the steps or path that got you there.
The three prompts:
1. Share your original goal(s) and how you feel now that you’ve accomplished them.
2. What was the hardest thing you overcame to meet your goal(s), and how did you do it?
3. What are your happiest clients or peers saying about the work you’ve done for them or the positive change you’re making since achieving the goal(s)?
Come prepared to have a future self in mind to role-play and engage with the group! Note: this can be a completely fictitious scenario, or it can be a real goal of yours that you haven’t actually accomplished yet; your choice! Examples to consider: A promotion or new role / becoming an entrepreneur / buying a vacation home / starting a side hustle / retiring comfortably / _______________?
CSN presents Leadership Improv
Through a variety of fun, engaging activities, Amanda and Jason will demonstrate how improvisational comedy skills can help supervisors work through difficult situations with staff and peers, as well as practice leadership skills in a light-hearted and low-risk environment.
No comedy or improv skills necessary; just bring your willingness to be curious and a little silly with your peers. We’ll meet in person for this session. Please register below to participate!
Date: January 6, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm
Location: DoIT Offices, 1210 W. Dayton Street, Room 3139
Take the stairs or elevator to the 3rd floor, then travel counterclockwise around the building to the conference room.
More information on Leadership Improv can be found at https://it.wisc.edu/it-community/committees-groups/uw-madison-it-connects/leadership-improv/
Let’s Talk: Make Effective Feedback Your Superpower
“Communications are much clearer if you recognize that there are three kinds of feedback: appreciation, coaching, and evaluation.” ― Therese Huston
CSN is facilitating the next Bite-Size Book Club in January! “Let’s Talk: Make Effective Feedback Your Superpower” by Therese Huston offers an insightful exploration into mastering the art of feedback, an essential tool in any leader or manager’s toolkit. Drawing from extensive research and real-world examples, Huston unravels the nuances of feedback, emphasizing its pivotal role in enhancing team dynamics and fostering a culture of growth. The book delves into differentiating between appreciation, coaching, and evaluation, providing a comprehensive understanding that elevates feedback beyond mere compliments or criticisms.
Designed for those seeking to transform their feedback skills into a powerful asset, this guide illuminates how feedback can serve as a bridge to deeper professional connections and personal development. Huston highlights the importance of holding the person over the problem, thereby fostering a supportive environment where individuals feel valued and motivated. Readers will find practical advice on handling feedback conversations with empathy and care, coupled with strategies that minimize defensiveness and build trust.
CSN’s Bite-Size Book Club will explore Huston’s ideas on feedback as a large group and later we’ll look at examples she provides in more detail—you’ll be able to join a small-group breakout session on the topic of appreciation, coaching, or evaluation styles of feedback during our time together.
Regular feedback, when delivered skillfully, can turn average performers into the hardest workers and stars into superstars. First, find out what kind of feedback an employee wants most: appreciation, coaching, or evaluation. If they crave one, they’ll be more receptive once their need has been satisfied. Then Huston lays out counterintuitive strategies for delivering each type of feedback successfully, including:
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- Start by saying your good intentions out loud: it may feel unnecessary, but it makes all the difference.
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- Side with the person, not the problem: a bad habit or behavior is probably less entrenched than you think.
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Give reports a chance to correct inaccurate feedback: they want an opportunity to talk more than they want you to be a good talker.
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As an attendee of this session, CSN will provide to you a summary of the whole book and provide select portions of this book to focus on in more detail. We recommend you obtain a copy of the book and read it in its entirety (though not necessary to participate).
Date: January 14, 2026
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm CST
Location: Zoom Link
CSN events offer
LEARNING with a side of NETWORKING!
The “main course” of CSN events is the content;
the “side” of CSN events: the meaningful connections you make.
“I do want to share how much I have enjoyed reading the book and also participating in the discussion. The entire experience made me feel supported and part of something much bigger.” ~Laura
“I really enjoy book clubs and the opportunity to do one with other campus supervisors outside my division was enticing since we do a lot within our division but it’s nice to hear from others.” – anonymous survey response
Many attendees have shared that they have learned as much from their peers about how the campus functions as what they took away from the main content of our sessions. This is something to consider when thinking of joining in on a session or not; take into account that the interactions with other supervisors and leaders at UW are as valuable and satisfying as the topics we are covering.
“As an employee of the Division of Extension, I really enjoyed the opportunity of meeting people working on campus. While our individual work may be different, we are all striving to be the best supervisor we can be.” – survey response
That is just one of the added values a UW-Madison community of practice like CSN brings to the table: your hunger for learning is complemented by your thirst for growth and support of others in similar situations.
In reflection:
Atomic Habits at Work Presentation
Held April 12, 2023 at the Administrative Professionals Conference at Union South
Presented by Rich Gassen, print production manager, Digital Publishing & Printing Services; and Jennifer Erickson, capacity building lead, Office of Strategic Consulting. This event was co-hosted by the Campus Supervisors Network.
This discussion-based session focused on building better habits in your work life, using the #1 New York Times bestseller, “Atomic Habits,” by James Clear as a guide. Clear writes about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement. His book has sold over 8 million copies worldwide and translated into over 50 languages.
“Atomic Habits” describes several proven techniques for building new habits (or ending bad ones), which will be covered in the session. Topics of this session included identity-based habits, changing the cues to direct you to better decisions, habit stacking (building upon habits you already have), and environmental design improvements. The presenters shared some stories, as well as additional resources for you to explore the topic further on your own.
Thank you for a great session! Atomic Habits was absolutely one of my favorite sessions. And it is definitely the one that I think will have the most impact on my day-to-day life, both at work and at home. – K. A.
A recording of a past similar presentation can be accessed directly at https://mediaspace.wisc.edu/media/Ignite+SeriesA+Atomic+Habits+at+Work/1_3n5po65d.
Find the slide deck and additional resources from James Clear at https://uwmadison.box.com/s/31snpz3sq7b5uxw4i6fgwenqwku5obq5.
Visit jamesclear.com for even more content and his weekly newsletter.
Here’s a short video from James Clear describing some of his concepts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nzqnXWvSo.
Get Involved!
Want to be more involved in CSN? Our strength comes from the diverse experiences the members of our planning committee bring to the table, along with feedback from other campus supervisors regarding content for our website and events. The more people that provide input, the stronger our services and abilities to deliver on our mission. Please don’t hesitate to contact our committee chair at any time, and thank you for your involvement!